Chris Harrison
Service manager at Derek Slack Skoda, Middlesbrough
Derek Slack Skoda is a family-run Skoda retailer and the oldest in the north-east of England. It has sold the Czech marque for more than 20 years.
How Chris rated them: 1 Sealey SCR80; 2 Draper CC4; 3 Sealey SCR84; 4 Draper CC2

Kev Grady
North Eastern Tyre & Exhaust, Teesside
Part of the Tyre Plus group of local rapid-fit garages across the UK, NETE has served the Teesside and North Yorkshire area for 80 years.
How Kev rated them: 1 Draper CC2; 2 Draper CC4; 3 Sealey SCR80; 4 Sealey SCR84

Draper CC2

Price: £89.94 (inc. VAT)From: drapertools.com

Craig: This is a good idea, having it multipurpose with the seat function. When you’re at the side of things, having it at this height is good – not everyone’s going to want to stay in a kneeling position for long, so to have
a seat is a bonus. It’s a little narrow though, but it helps with getting some elbow room.

Chris: This is a very heavy and bulky piece of kit. The dual function is a good idea, it’s one of the more comfortable creepers, and the material on it is at least waterproof, but it’s not our favourite here.

Kev: It looks like a stretcher! If you were on your back all the time and don’t rely on lifts, it’s a great idea. The qualm I have with it is the material it’s made out of. I can see it getting ripped quite easily – you’d want a cover for it. It would be convenient if you worked in an office too.

Five Stars

Sealey SCR80

Price: £68.94 (inc VAT)From: sealey.co.uk

Craig: It’s lightweight – it’ll do the job, but it’s not as comfy, though that’ll stop you falling asleep on the job! It’s quite robust. If you get it covered in muck and oil, it’s easy to wipe down with it being composite – and you’re not going to rip it like you will with the others.

Chris: Even though it’s a little uncomfortable, this is the one I would buy. It has a good-quality feel and good clearance, and the castors are good quality and soft. The side compartments are a good idea too.

Kev: This is exactly the same as the composite Draper. Nice and lightweight and the pockets in the side are a good idea to store bolts and tools without getting any dust on them or losing them on the floor.

Four Stars

Sealey SCR84

Price: £101.94 (inc VAT)From: sealey.co.uk

Craig: It’s got a decent headrest and loads of padding. It’s nice and broad for wider chaps, but it’s a little short. It’s probably not going to be the one we’d choose, as it’s not as robust as the plastic ones and you could damage it a bit too easily.

Chris: This is a more comfortable option, but it’s rather high from the floor and has limited clearance
as a result. It doesn’t feel like the best built either and the castors in particular feel a little cheap.

Kev: The same sort of thing applies to the material on the Sealey as with the Draper. It’s going to wipe clean okay but I can see it getting damaged too easily. The sharp corners are a bit of a worry too – you’ll probably trip over all of these anyway, but this one will hurt more. It’s much comfier to use than the plastic ones though.

Three Stars

Draper CC4

Price: £54.54 inc VATFrom: drapertools.com

Craig: This looks like it’s based on exactly the same board as the Sealey, but it’s blue. The little storage trays are great if you’ve got tools and that – normally, if you’re under a car and you drop something, it’ll roll under the creeper. With this one, it won’t, so it’s good from that point of view.

Chris: Like the similar Sealey, this is a little hard and uncomfortable if you’re going to use it for any length of time. However, it’s sturdy, simple and hard-wearing. It’s going to be easy to clean and has the same good-quality castors as the Sealey, too.

Kev: This is quite light actually – it’s less for you to push around with you on, but it might be a bit too light, so you could spin yourself round instead of breaking the nut! It’s not going to be very comfy, but then you don’t want to be in it too long.